Page 1 of 2 Next >>Keen to regain the ground lost to the Shelby Cobra in the GT category, Ferrari set about developing a competition version of the new 275 GTB launched at the 1964 Paris Motor Show. The first road-going Ferrari equipped with independent rear suspension and a transaxle gearbox, the 275 GTB was a considerable step forward compared to the ageing 250 GT chassis previously used. Accordingly, the competition derivative readied for the 1965 season looked set to be a formidable machine but, unfortunately, Ferrari's GT plans were thwarted by homologation issues for a second year running.

In fairness, Ferrari had given the sport's governing, the FIA, ample reason to inspect their latest racer very closely. A year earlier, the Italian manufacturer had tried to convince the FIA that their new mid-engined 250 LM was just and update version of the 250 GTO, in order to circumvent the 100-example production minimum. Understandably, homologation was refused and Ferrari hastily updated the existing cars with 250 LM inspired bodies. When preparing the 275 GTB, the engineers once again carefully explored the regulations to the fullest. However, when the FIA inspected the first example, they found one discrepancy; the car did not comply with the minimum weight regulations.

Ferrari were happy to raise the weight from the 870 kg it tipped the scales at during inspection to the 1,100 kg of the road car but the FIA would have nothing of it and declared that the new 275 GTB could only race in the prototype category. In response, Enzo Ferrari published a press release stating that his team would abandon GT racing altogether, effectively handing the World Championship to the Shelby Cobras. This caused quite a media uproar, which in turn forced Ferrari and the FIA to reach a compromise. Remarkably, the two parties eventually settled on a homologation weight of 980 kg well into the 1965 season. Page 1 of 2 Next >>